For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Parallel translations
- WEB For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
- KJV For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
- NKJV For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
- NASB For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
- NLT For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus affirms that everyone who asks receives, seeks finds, and knocks is answered. God reliably responds to earnest prayer.
Overview
This restates the promise as a settled principle of God's dealings with his people. The assurance is not a blank check but a pledge that the Father answers genuine, persistent prayer for good. It builds confidence to approach God boldly through the access Christ provides.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Jas 4:3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
- Lam 3:18So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
- Lam 3:54–58The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
- Luke 18:1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
- Jas 5:11See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
- Ps 31:22In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help.
- Jonah 2:2–8saying: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice.
- Lam 3:8Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.